The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-03-23
THE RUNAWAY NEGRO.
One of Bill Apps Stories to His Children
How He Found His Property.

One of Bill Apps Stories to His Children
How He Found His Property.
Atlanta Constitution
We used to live in the country close to Dr.
MIXERS house, and the Doctor had negro man
who was as black as the ace of spades"
is the ace of spades very black, papa" said
Jessie.
Yes, my child; but will say that Anderson
ana his mother and sisters the blacklist
negroes ever saw, and. strange to say. they most
always wore blue clothes, and you couldn't
nose, or chin, cheeks little ways off, for there
was no shading to show their features. The face
was just round black spot until they opened the
mouth to say howdy. and then you saw some
white, peariy teeth. Well Anderson took no.
ton to marry colored woman. Mary-the
same Mary who grew up with
first children and nursed most all
OF them Anderson was boss darkey,
that Is he walked around and looked after things
but he didn't do much work himself. DR. Miller
was an easy, lndulgent master, and let his serv-
ants do pretty much as they pleased. AS be-
tween the Doctor and Anderson one could hard
ant. except by the color Well, in the course of
time, the Doctor found that his farm and his
negroes were making him poor go one day he
sold the whole concern to a Virginian who had
plenty OF money, and the Doctor moved to
town This Virginian was man of business.
and everybody around him had to work. This
did not suit Anderson at ALL and as the white
folks were then rebeilng against their govern
ment Anderson concluded to rebel against his.
So he ran away-that is he took to the woods
and lay out For three months his new master
hunted for him, and had the sheriff
and the police watching every night,
but they couldn't find him. They
watched around our premises and the cabin
where Mary lived but all in vain. So one dav
the Vireinian came to me and said: Let me
sell Anderson to YOU "Why, he Is a runa-
way" said l. ''Well, may be he will come
home when you buy him." he said. But didn't
Apac 7 Int ;Eo
the war had begun. and we might get whipped
and lose our negroes, and / didn't know
whether Anderson would come to me not, l
wouldn't buy him in the woods But Mary
kept begging your mother about Anderson, and
your mother got sorry for her, and finally asked
me straight out to buy him for Marys sake.
So bought him, and that evening, at the sup
per table. l said: MARY. the sheriff thinks
are feeding him somewhere" Mary held up
her hands in horror. Me feedin' Anderson!
clar to de Lord. master don't know no mo-
about Anderson dan you does; l haint see An
derson nor hear tell of Anderson in tree
month" And she walked out she muttered
her indignation at the idea of her feedin' An
derson.
When she came in again I said: MARY. 1
have bought Anderson this evening, and now
he belongs to If you can get him any
word that have bought him, maybe he will
come home and not be laying out in swamps and
thickets."
"Mary's eyes stretched wide and her mouth.
too, as she said: "Bless de Lord, master is YOU
bought Andersonl knows you is. for you amt
never fool me-" And she out the house in a
hurry, - we supposed. to tell Tip and the other
servants and in about ten minutes she came
back with Anderson, and with air of triumph
said to him: Now, 1 tell you Solar is your
master" Anderson grinned big smile and
sed II most know'd he buy me If l lay out
long enuf.' The children found out afterward
that he had been hid under the fodder in my
stable loft, and Mary mad been feeding him.
He was fat and sleek. and blacker than ever.
Shade bleaches white man, but it blackens a
negro